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Tuesday, June 20, 2017

This was the last of no mint mark series from 1965-1967. The mint officials thought that hoarders were keeping to many coins so they decided to stop putting mint marks on coins. A slight backlash and the 3 year experiment yielded very little differences so the mint marks came back by 1968.

It's 50 years old and still has no extra value because the metal market is pretty stable so feel free to spend them. I only pulled this out because i showcase coins that turn 50 or older.

Sunday, May 14, 2017

There are two mint marks for this coin, if minted in Chile it has an S with an o siting on top. If minted at the Royal Dutch Mintit has the caduceus symbol, which is the snakes wrapping around a pole with wings on top. Known in medical communites, ☤.

Trying a little iPhone photography on this post, but I cannot get it right, I would need a steady hand or a tripod which I do not have.

There also seems to be varieties in the font of LIBERTADOR B O'HIGGINS, where a larger font also indicates it is from the Chilean mint. The value is the same in either case and the mintage remains a mystery but seem to pretty common in change, although a lower amount of Royal dutch Minted coins appears.

Wednesday, April 05, 2017

Two years since I last found a Bermudan coin. I think they stopped making circulating version after 2009 but they do not seem popular in general.

This is from the 1986 to 1998 series, after this one the updated the queen's portrait. It is copper-nickel and has an exchange value equal to US currency. It is common although it has a low mintage but there is no huge market for these as the the banks still have plenty on hand. So I don't suspect that the value will go up even if the Bermudan government announces they discounted the twenty-five cent coin.

Thursday, March 09, 2017

The Denver version of the Homestead quarter. Took a while to find one especially since a change of jobs means no more easy coin finds.

Bag damage on the front where Washington's wig meets his neck. Bag damage refers to the time after a coin is minted and it gets dumped into carts, crates, and bags to get shipped. This damage is unwanted but for circulating coins does not affect value even on rare pieces.

Damage made outside the mint of by accident does lower value. Bag damage is part of the process but ideally you want a circulating coin to not have any for maximum value and appeal.

Wednesday, February 22, 2017

Surprise the United States Mint added the P on the cent for the first time ever to honor the 225th Anniversary, April, 2 1792-2017, of the mint and to honor the staff at Philadelphia Mint.

So who suggested this small but huge change?
It was the mint employees themselves, that must be the coolest suggestion box in our government. The follow through was done by the mints officials without any laws. Why? Because a minor change like mint marks does not need any federal approval. Designs, compositions, and inscriptions do need approval so everything that is not under those rules is up to the mint officials.

More surprises are expected some will be by law but some may just pop up so keep up that change hunting. (Of course they have no extra value but it is a cool collectors item.)

Wednesday, February 08, 2017

This is a very dark coin that I got as a penny. On closer look it was actually a 10 yen coin from Japan. Not rare but seldom seen in my change I believe because the distance from here to Japan makes travel something only the wealthier population enjoys.

The design of this coin has gone unchanged since 1951. The biggest change from previous issues is the date. This one is Year 2 which is a Heisei era coin under the emperor Akihito. The previous was Emperor Hirohito whose coinage bears the Shōwa era symbols. Upon the emperor's death it will change again starting from year 1 and counting up until death.

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